Since 1999, the Zonta Rose has served as the symbol of Zonta Rose Day, which coincides with International Women’s Day on March 8 It was introduced in 1984 as a living symbol of Zonta International. The renowned England-based nursery Harkness Roses cultivated the flower.
Each year in honor of Zonta Rose Day, Zontians all over the world present a yellow rose to men and women who have honored Zonta’s vision by helping women achieve their full potential.
The lovely yellow bloom of the Zonta Rose can be seen in the forecourt of Australia’s National Parliament in Canberra and at Bältespännarparken in Gothenburg, Sweden, and in gardens, memorial plantings, schools, hospitals and homes for the elderly around the globe.
Bonnie is a 42-year-old working wife and mother of 4, and a lifelong volunteer. Growing up, her mother was a fierce community advocate and it instilled in her the desire to love and support the ground in which she grew, wherever that may be. Before motherhood, she served on staff at Young Life working with at-risk youth. As a mom, she organized book fairs, holiday shops; you name it. She was yet again inspired by a woman, her daughter’s librarian. Through her trust in Bonnie, she had the privilege of serving on the Executive Board of the Melbourne General Federation of Women’s Clubs. She began as a secretary, then treasurer, and finally as second vice president. Today, 9 years later they serve together still, in a million different capacities, most recently trying to save Green Gables.
Christie has demonstrated her commitment to service women in the community and provided hope for a better future by running Melbourne Women Rock Networking group. Christie feels that building relationships in her community is the key to making the community a better place to live, work, and raise a family which provides hope of a better future.Christie consistently hits the mark when it comes to community service. She’s worked with members of many local non-profits to find ways to promote positivity and hope for those in need and makes space available in her magazines to highlight the missions of non-profit organizations, and she does it without cost. Christie has been recognized as Alignable’s Local Business Person of the Year Indialantic 2020-2021 and was awarded Paul Harris Fellow in 2020 and 2021 for significant contributions to Rotary International. She is currently sitting on a Rotary JRTOC Scholarship committee. She is an active member of Rotary Club of Indialantic, ABWA SCWEN, and a Melbourne Regional Chamber (MRC) Investor and Ambassador and a Palm Bay Chamber Trustee. To top it off Christie is a successful woman business owner. She led her Brevard County team consisting of 4 women and 4 men to second place in the nation and first place in the South Region in BVM in 2020, and second place in South Regional 2021 all the while having both her kids, one with special needs, elearning at home from March 2020 to August 2021. Christie inspires others, leads by example and is always willing to lend a hand to those in need.
Kristine is a former Palm Bay Council member and current District Five County Commissioner. It has been in these roles where many people see Kristine volunteer her time to the community, in addition to her duties as an elected official. As an elected official, Kristine has been instrumental in implementing and expanding the Space Coast Area Transit paratransit service, which provides much needed transportation to our community’s population that are unable to drive. She has been instrumental in addressing lagoon restoration, transportation funding, and economic development. As the 2022 Commission Chair, she is now leading the entire County Commission and its $1.6 Billion budget. Kristine works each year raising funds for various organizations, including an annual Holiday fundraiser for Aging Solutions. She has also even participated in the Dancing with the Space Coast, raising $40,000 for various local non-profit organizations.As a Nurse Practitioner, Dr. Kristine Zonka is a very passionate healthcare professional, who always puts her patients before herself.
After 20 years of service in the U.S. Army and a successful post-military career at Eastern Florida State College, Ms. Jones now dedicates her post-retirement time to serve as the Executive Director of the Elderly Compassionate Care Program, where she bridges the community’s low-income population with funding for education and eventual careers resulting in workforce improvement and economic stability for the community. She commenced her efforts as a volunteer coordinating a cohort of 9 south Brevard churches implementing the Pastors Community Alliance manufacturing training and job assistance program in 2015. She dedicated countless hours to mentoring students, raising funds for training and connecting students to viable post training employment. Teri is steadfast in her focus on creating opportunities for underserved citizens in our community through education, training and mentorship. In addition to her efforts with the Elderly Compassionate Care program, Ms. Jones’s affiliations and community involvement include: Board Member of the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast, Board Member and Secretary of the Florida Fund for Minority Teachers Scholarship housed at the University of Florida; Member of the Space Coast National Congress of Black Women; Member of the Space Coast Chapter 64, Women’s Army Corp; Executive Director of Elderly Compassionate Care program at Macedonia Education Technology and Career Academy; Executive Director, College Prep Soarers at Macedonia Education Technology and Career Academy; Memorial Day & Veteran’s Day Program Director at Macedonia Church; Scholarship Committee Administrator at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church; Staff Correspondent for Ebony News Today; and Freelance Correspondent for Florida Today.
Brandy Crisafulli has been a champion for victims of abuse, neglect, and those in physical and emotional pain for over twenty years. She has had this burden to facilitate this work with housing for these ladies and children, this is Life Recaptured. Brandy had an abusive Father that wreaked havoc in their home and only through her strong faith in God and his grace did they even survive. Choosing to never have a victim mentality her heart for those in pain has given a tremendous sense of empathy. As the founder and president of Life Recaptured she is creating a haven, a safe place, for fellow survivors. Life Recaptured is a place where they can be freed from the tethers of abuse, shame, and pain. Brandy and her staff love and nurture them and help them to “recapture” their dreams and aspirations or allow them to dream for the very first time!
Diana currently serves as Executive Director of Brevard Heart Foundation, a local nonprofit addressing healthcare needs in our community through initiatives and programs. The Foundation also invests in the future of healthcare through their scholarship program where the majority of scholarship recipients are women with a desire to serve the healthcare needs of Brevard County. Prior to her nonprofit work, Diana was a teacher for seven years where she was recognized as the Elementary Social Studies Teacher of the Year for the state of Florida. Along with her husband, Diana also owns Rock Paper Simple where she seeks out ways to give back to the community. Diana is currently earning her Doctorate in Public Administration and running for the West Melbourne City Council. Her work in the community has impacted homeless families, children in need, and medically-underserved populations as she works to address systemic issues through community-based solutions.
Barbara Schlitt Ford is a 2nd generation Vero native, an accomplished attorney, educator, and organization leader. She cares about environmental stewardship and is passionate about living in union with our Earth systems, nature preservation, and finding solutions to our water quality issues in the area. Barbara joined the Environmental Learning Center as Executive Director in 2019. She appreciates synergistic commitment and teamwork from staff, board members, volunteers, and community partners. She is an optimist who believes that we can each make a positive impact individually. By working together, we can truly create a better future. Barbara is also passionate about children and was a dedicated leader for the Youth Guidance Mentoring Academy for Indian River County, helping children through mentoring relationships that inspire trust self-esteem to have a positive future. Barbara is an inspiring woman, mother, leader, and friend who has impacted children’s lives, our environment, and community through her hard work and dedication.
Jennifer graduated with a Master's degree in Psychology in 1996 from the University of South Florida and then graduated with a Master's Degree in Occupational Therapy in 1999 from Florida International University. She has been an Occupational Therapist since 1999, specializing in Geriatric Rehabilitation. She is currently employed as a Nurse on Call Home Health.It is her passion to help her patients achieve maximal independence after an illness or injury. In addition to her full-time occupation, she has been serving as Vice-Chair of Marketing, Outreach and Scholarship for Melbourne City Ballet Theatre (MCBT), since its inception in 2018. She has two beautiful daughters, Colleen age 10 and Olivia age 9, both proud dancers with
JoAnna O'Keefe is a Poet, Songwriter, Mother, Wife, Friend, Philanthropist. She eloquently shares the journey that can lead toward peace both within us and outside us. JoAnna has reached out to our countrymen and women, with her fabulous poem set to music, "America at the Crossroads." A poem and song that we desperately need today and every day like a prayer or a promise. At present JoAnna is doing lectures about, "How Poetry Can Save Your Life." She is writing poems and is in the process of writing another book. She continues to encourage peace and unity through, "America at the Crossroads," As Bill Moyers, said, poets are witnesses to life." JoAnna has said," I experienced firsthand that even divided, the American people love their country and unity is possible. An optimist and a fighter!
Beverly DeMeyer took the role of CEO at Serene Harbor earlier than expected due to the early retirement of her predecessor. It was February of 2020 and we hadn’t yet experienced the changing world due to the pandemic that was around the corner. In March, the pandemic became a reality and it was an unpresented time to run a shelter that required acceptance of people from different backgrounds who had differing levels of concern about Covid 19. Serene Harbor quickly adapted and put safety measures in place to accommodate all guests and keep them safe while living in a shared space environment. Just as those measures were becoming standard, the kitchen in the shelter experienced a fire and yet again, there was an emergency that needed to be dealt with. Hours of insurance claims, dealing with contractors and helping shift shelter residents into other safe locations are only a few of the duties that had to quickly be assumed. While these events were happening, Beverly was working on new programs to serve the women/men and children who need the services of a domestic violence shelter so that Serene Harbor can better serve the local community. Since 2020, Serene Harbor has started relocation services, therapy groups that can continue for people who live outside the shelter, case management, education and employment programs as well as having an attorney on staff full time to provide legal advice and support to survivors. These new programs have required hours of time outside normal working hours to develop guidelines as well as request funding and support for each area. Beverly gives 150% of herself daily to Serene Harbor and is more than deserving of this award! The work she does daily will impact our community for years to come!
A native of Florida’s Space Coast, Inga Young founded 8-koi on August 8, 2008 to offer a more efficient option to the government. She credits her success to her parents who immigrated from Asia, pursued advanced degrees in science and technology, and fulfilled lifelong careers supporting aerospace in Brevard County. 8-koi specializes in design engineering, construction, training/technical and administrative support, and healthcare-related services. In 2019, Inga acquired Cape Design Engineering Co. (CDE). In 2022, the University of Florida placed 8-koi on the Gator100 List. Inga earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Accounting from UF in 1991. Inga is serving as the 2021-22 President of the Women in Defense Space Coast Chapter. A proud show dog mom and breeder, Inga’s AKC Grand Champion Cotons de Tulear have placed at Westminster and around the world. She is also an active Pokémon GO player with the Melbourne Raiders Discord group she co-founded.
Tammy has consistently demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to serve the military community of Patrick Space Force Base, Florida as well as underserved and marginalized communities throughout Brevard County. As a retired 23-year veteran of the United States Air Force and education professional, Tammy’s selflessness and willingness to build the lives of others has contributed to the advancement of women’s self-confidence, decisiveness and determination to live more purposeful lives.
Carrie Friday is the Media Specialist at Southwest Middle School in Palm Bay, a 2018-2019 Teacher of the Year Finalist for Brevard Public Schools, and a 2019-2020 Space Coast Public Service Heavy Lifter award winner. She isn't afraid to take risks and will do just about anything to encourage the love of literacy and learning in students and teachers. She is a co-founder of the #swms20bookchallenge. Carrie has presented best practices at the district, state, national, and global levels. She believes educators are better together. Mrs. Friday’s library program was awarded the designation of a Florida Power Library School by the Florida Department of Education and she has appeared on both the Librarian Influencers podcast and School Librarians United podcast. She believes in innovation, collaboration and the power of really good books. Carrie is a wife to a rocket scientist, mother to two amazing girls, and works closely with the youth group at her church.
Kaori does so much for Brevard County, both in her work life and personal life. I met her through the Leadership Brevard program and I have the pleasure of serving with her on the LEAD Brevard Curriculum Committee. Kaori looks for ways to mentor others, whether it is professionally or personally, and can usually be found out and about it in our community finding ways to support others. I applaud her efforts to be visible and give back to her community through mentorship, as she sets the bar for attending events like Grand Openings and Open Houses of new and updated businesses. While she attends these events, I've also seen her follow up with these businesses to try to connect them to others that may be good connections or resources so she isn't afraid to go the extra mile.
In terms of mentorship within her service to the community, Kaori serves as Diversity & Inclusion leader in her region at work where she helps to recruit and retain a diverse workforce. This is especially important in today's world where DEI are a significant piece of a business when new employees are looking to come aboard for a long period of time, and is also a factor many employees consider when remaining with their company. In a professional mentorship capacity, Kaori mentors several colleagues there, whether they are coming on as new employees or seeking to grow in their current role. She always has a positive 'can do' attitude that is evident to her mentees, coworkers, and clients, as well as anyone she interacts with in the community. She serves as an ambassador for the Palm Bay Chamber where she is often asked to mentor new businesses joining the Chamber. Additionally, she serves on the board for Bridges, and is secretary of 5-Star Toastmaster’s Club.
Beyond our community, Kaori also mentors members of her local BNI (Business Network International) group where several people have reached out to ask for help networking and building relationships. She also serves as president of this organization and is has thrived under her leadership. This particular business referral group has franchises in 70 different countries and Kaori eagerly connects with as many people as possible.
Kaori is a leader and mentor for the Space Coast and her impact is immeasurable. She works hard to raise up other leaders and has been a vital piece of Brevard County's growth!
Crystal Morris is the founder of One Caring Adult, Inc. She has advocated as a social justice professional for almost two decades bringing specialized abilities to evaluate existing organizational policies and practices. Mrs. Morris is dynamic and uses her multidisciplinary skills to build awareness and impactful conversations to curate safe spaces. Possessing a proven track record of facilitating restorative dialogues related to social and systemic injustices, Mrs. Morris cultivates fertile ground for cultural humility, modeling trauma-informed leadership to give rise to paradigm shifts. She is driven to provide culturally responsive executive coaching that analyzes costly blind spots that result in employee attrition and disengagement to implement strategic methodologies to develop healthy corporate cultures.
Nikki Hoier is a lifelong learner, educator, scientist, writer, artist and engineer. Her teaching career began in 1978 after graduating from University of Florida with a degree in Art Education. From 1980 to 1993 she worked with her husband, Tom Carr, teaching and conducting research on sea turtles, manatees and other marine mammals throughout North America, Africa and the Caribbean. In 1993 she moved to Melbourne, Florida to attend graduate school at Florida Tech. She earned an M.S. and EdS in Science Education, and an M.S. in Engineering. Nikki managed the Applied Computing Center in Evans Library for over 10 years, and mentored over 100 students from across the Globe. For 23 years she opened her home to International students, providing a safe cultural immersion experience for each of them while they complete their studies. After graduating from Florida Tech Nikki taught engineering, cybersecurity, video game design, art and science in Brevard public/charter schools. She also worked with CASIS, a NASA supported organization that manages research and education on the International Space Station. Currently Nikki is the education director for Spacegames Federation, a woman-owned organization that promotes sports in space, and has nominated the International Space Station for a Nobel Peace Prize. Nikki also teaches wildlife photography, storytelling with photos, art and ecology at Verdi EcoSchool in Melbourne. Her joy in life is to give back to youth; their success in learning and growing is the future of our planet.
Accomplished on-air personality, emcee, author and VP of Marketing for White Glove Moving & Storage, Anna Valencia Tillery can take the boring and make it brilliant, offering a fresh perspective to listening audiences in person and on radio. Anna Valencia Tillery is also the host and founder of the Treasure Coast Premier Women’s Network which meets three times each month throughout the region, giving fellow businesswomen a positive platform to promote and learn about each other’s services. Additionally, Anna is a hands-on mother of a teenage son and wife who enjoys river roaming. The goal is to go down every one of the 103 rivers in Florida. During this awards event, she and her family will be venturing down their 38th river making memories and exploring this beautiful state that so many are discovering and deciding to call home with the help of the White Glove Moving team.
Carrie Friday is the Media Specialist at Southwest Middle School in Palm Bay, a 2018-2019 Teacher of the Year Finalist for Brevard Public Schools, and a 2019-2020 Space Coast Public Service Heavy Lifter award winner. She isn't afraid to take risks and will do just about anything to encourage the love of literacy and learning in students and teachers. She is a co-founder of the #swms20bookchallenge. Carrie has presented best practices at the district, state, national, and global levels. She believes educators are better together. Mrs. Friday’s library program was awarded the designation of a Florida Power Library School by the Florida Department of Education and she has appeared on both the Librarian Influencers podcast and School Librarians United podcast. She believes in innovation, collaboration and the power of really good books. Carrie is a wife to a rocket scientist, mother to two amazing girls, and works closely with the youth group at her church.
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